Gurgaon,
February 15: Defending Avantha Masters champion SSP Chowrasia,
the only Indian to have won two European Tour titles in the last four years, is
ready to add to that total and join Jeev Milkha Singh and Arjun Atwal as the
only Indians to have won three titles on European Tour, when the Avantha
Masters tees up on Thursday.
Chowrasia, who is
beginning to show the form that won him the Avantha Masters title last year, is
confident of a good showing at the DLF Golf and Country Club. After missing a
lot of club last year, he had decent showings in South
Africa , Abu Dhabi and
Qatar .
Chowrasia,
33, triumphed by one shot from England’s Robert Coles last year to
claim his second European Tour title following his victory in the Indian
Masters in 2008, when he became the first player to win on his debut appearance
as an Affiliate Member.
The first win came
at Delhi Golf Club and last season it was at DLF Golf and Country Club.
“I’ve been practising hard and I’m feeling really
good,” said Chowrasia. “I’ve done a bit of work on my swing
over the off-season and it’s paying off. I’m feeling very confident
about my game.
“Last year
was amazing to win in front of the home fans and great for Indian golf and
Indian players. I was so happy. Golf in
India is growing – cricket is
number one but golf is the next fastest growing sport – and I hope my
victory inspires more people to play.
“I have great
memories of the DLF Golf Club from last year so I am very much looking forward
to going back. To win again and make it three times in
Delhi would be unbelievable.”
India is well
represented, as the tournament is tri-sanctioned between The European Tour, the
Asian Tour and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), and the crowds will
have the opportunity to watch Jeev Milkha Singh, arguably the pioneer of Indian
golf.
The 40 year old was
the first Indian to qualify for The European Tour and has won three titles, the
last of which was in 2008. He has also won the Asian Tour Order of Merit twice,
in 2006 and 2008.
“I have been
suffering from a touch of cold, and was carrying this last week in
Dubai also. But I am
hoping to be fine by Thursday,” said Jeev. “It’s the
third year in a row we have had a European Tour event in
India , which is
fantastic. The DLF is a great golf course, and of course it’s always a
treat to play in front of your home crowds. I get a lot of support from the
people there. I’m really looking forward to it.
“The course
is an Arnold Palmer design. It’s tree-lined and management is very
important on that golf course. The wind picks up this time of the year
and the greens are quite grainy, so you've got to make sure you hit it in the
right level.”
The field for the
€1.8 million event also includes Major Champions Todd Hamilton and John
Daly, as well as former world number one amateur Peter Uihlein.
The field includes
Mardan Mamat, one of Asia ’s seasoned
players, who ended a six-year title drought at the ICTSI Philippine Open on
Sunday. The 44-year-old Mamat was a wire-to-wire winner, and it was his third
Asian Tour title. His last win came at the 2006 Osim
Singapore Masters, a
joint-sanctioned event between European and Asian tours. He finished in the 50s
in both 2010 and 2011 Avantha Masters.
Another Asian golf
legend Thongchai has 13 Asian Tour titles, a record that has been against his
name since late 2010. After having recovered from an injury-filled 2011 he is
hoping to take the record further.
Overall it is one
of the strongest fields to have assembled in
India in recent years. There will
be as many as 37 separate European Tour winners with 67 tournament titles
between them, competing this week. Richard Sterne contributes the most to this
tally having won an impressive five times since 2004 when he picked up his
first at the Open de Madrid. The most recent victor in the field is Dutchman
Joost Luiten, who won his first title at the Iskandar Johor Open.
Both the winners on
Asian Tour in 2012, Kieran Pratt (Myanmar Open) and Mamat (Philippine Open)
will also be present.
From India’s
standpoint, the only name missing will be Jyoti Randhawa, who is injured, but
the likes of Shiv Kapur, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Anirban Lahiri, Himmat Rai, Rahil
Gangjee, Chiragh Kumar among others will once again make it a very strong
Indian presence in the field.
Indians have been
very strong on home turf, having three of the five international titles last
year, besides finishing second in one and third in another.
The Euros 1.8
million Avantha Masters is currently the richest tournament in
India and has
been held at the DLF Golf and Country Club for the last three years.
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